Detailed Explanation of the Key Points of Standardized Cultivation Techniques for Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza)
Danshen, a name in Chinese medicine. It is the dried root and rhizome of the Lamiaceae plant Danshen Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. It is harvested in spring and autumn, the mud and sand are removed, and it is dried. It is distributed in most parts of the country. It has the effects of activating blood and removing blood stasis, unblocking menstruation and relieving pain, clearing the heart and eliminating restlessness, and cooling blood and dispersing abscesses. It is used for chest impediment and heart pain, epigastric and hypochondriac pain, abdominal masses and accumulations, painful heat impediment, vexation and insomnia, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea and amenorrhea, and sores and ulcers with swelling and pain.
Physiological characteristics
A perennial herb, 30-80 cm tall. The root is slender, cylindrical, and vermilion red on the outside. The stem is four-angled, branched in the upper part. Leaves are opposite; odd-pinnate compound leaves, with 3-5 leaflets. The terminal leaflet is larger than the lateral leaflets, and the leaflets are ovate. Verticillasters are terminal and axillary, flowers are labiate, blue-purple, the upper lip upright, the lower lip shorter than the upper lip. Nutlets are oblong, dark brown or black when mature. Flowering period is May to October, fruiting period is June to November.
Growing environment
It grows on sunny hillsides in grass clusters, beside ditches, roadsides, or forest edges. It is distributed in most parts of the country.
Cultivation techniques
1. Land selection, land preparation, and fertilization. For artificial cultivation of Kushen (Sophora flavescens), loam, sandy loam, or humus loam with deep soil, good drainage, loose fertility, and sufficient sunlight should be selected for making beds. Apply 2000 kg of farmyard manure per mu. Adopt the technique of wide ridges and high beds, with a bed width of 130-140 cm, length determined as needed, bed height of 10-12 cm, and bed spacing of 30 cm.
2. Propagation techniques. (1) Seed propagation. From July to September, when the Kushen pods turn dark brown, harvest them, sun-dry them, thresh them, winnow off impurities, and store them in a dry place for later use. Seed treatment should be carried out before sowing. Method: soak the seeds in warm water at 40°C-50°C for 10-12 hours, then remove them and drain them slightly before sowing; they can also be stratified with wet sand (seeds mixed with wet sand at 1:3) for 20-30 days before sowing. In addition, treating with 95%-98% concentrated sulfuric acid for 60 minutes can also increase the seed germination rate. In mid-to-late April, on the prepared high beds, open holes 2-3 cm deep at a row spacing of 50-60 cm and a plant spacing of 30-40 cm, sow 4-5 treated seeds per hole, cover with fine soil mixed with plant ash, keep the soil moist, and seedlings emerge in 15-20 days. When the seedlings are 5-10 cm tall, thin them, leaving 2 strong seedlings per hole. Seedling raising and transplanting can also be used. (2) Root division propagation. It can be sown in both spring and autumn. Autumn planting is carried out after leaf fall, and spring sowing is in late April, preferably when the ground temperature at 5 cm underground stabilizes above 15°C. Select 15-20 cm Kushen roots, each root must have 2-3 roots and buds, place them flat at a row spacing of 30 cm in furrows 10 cm deep, cover with soil, firm it, and water thoroughly.
3. Field management. (1) Cultivation and weeding. During the seedling stage, cultivation, weeding, and hilling should be carried out to keep the field free of weeds and the soil loose and moist, so as to facilitate the growth of Kushen. (2) Topdressing. On the basis of applying sufficient base fertilizer, topdress 2 times each year. The first time is in mid-to-late May when the seedlings are 15 cm tall; the second time is in early-to-mid August when the seedlings are 50-70 cm tall. Topdressing should be carried out timely and in appropriate amounts according to plant growth conditions. (3) Drainage and irrigation. Pay attention to keeping the soil moist, water timely during drought, and open ditches for drainage during the rainy season to avoid water accumulation and root rot. (4) Flower removal. Except for seed production plots, cut off the flower stalks in time to avoid consuming nutrients.